Thana and the bruin

Weary of being in a rut and to shed the state of torpidity,we decided to go to a distant forest. Our destination was a FRH located in the heart of the reserve.After lodging ourselver at the resthouse , we capered around till the evening. It was then felt that,since our provisions were limited, they ought to be rationed. Now such a fiat rankled some of us,but ultimately we all acquiesced to it.Frazzled from the journey,we all hit the sack soon after having the dinner , and in no time were sound asleep.At dead of the night , when all of us were snoring stertorously, a portly figure heaved itself up.After taking a dekko at us,it surreptitiously made its way to the cookhouse. Despite the stygian darkness, the figure , with his eyes lit by the fixity of purpose proceeded unerring. So engrossed was he in his purpose, that he failed to hearken distinct scrapping emanating from the scullery. It was after nearing the kitchen, he perceived someone clandestinely rummaging through the stores.Upon this , Thana flared up with righteous indignation,a spasm of wild fury descended on him,for here was some infernal smart alecwho had usurped his deep-laid scheme. Quivering with demonic rage, Thana fell back and armed himsel with a torch.He sought both to denunciate rain censure on the yellow bellied ignoble sneak.Thanappan then literally breathing fire ,dashed headlong into the kitchen,yelling a bloodcurding war cry.The exultant war cry then strangely morphed into a stiffled gasp,for the gleaming torchlight revealed a bewildered bruin.The susprise was mutual,but particularly more for the bear,for being a denizen of the forest , it wasn't accustomed to bloodthristy apparitions conjuring themselves out of nowhere.Then after a brief moment of indecision, things started happening in earnest, with Thanappan fleeing down the passage and the bruin bounding behind him.Now it must be said that the bear stupified after being forced upon with the unwanted society of Thanappan understandably went bonkers, and in its mad haste to flee, toppled Thanappan and darted through the ajar door to its safety. Roused from our slumbers, we rushed to the kitchen to find a recumbent Thana. We found tha the bruins's claws while fleeing had unfortunately found purchase on Thana's posterior. We then bundled Thanappan into the jeep and motored to the government hospital. The leech there attended to Thana's rear. Meanwhile a nosy stringer got wind of the happening and ran a story in the morning paper of a man who saves his chumps from a vicious irate bear . And then for some time Thanappan was cynosure of all eyes.

the bugbear

Lately, while sifting through the net , I chanced upon on an article by some obsure shrink. On flitting over it I found the trick cyclist argued that a sure way to confront our fears is to confide it, get square with our circle. So taking a leaf out of the leech's book, I believe many of you will positively commiserate with me , when I say my bugbear happens to be foot-board travelling in trains. Though it may appear puerile to you swankpots,let me narrate this incident,which will only show how dicey is such travel. So on the fateful day I along with my chum thanappan were at the station without any presentiment whatsoever of the events that soon were to follow.Now to say of Thanappan , he just a little over five feet ,corpulent,build like a warthog and usually attired in habiliment that only amplified his love handles. Thanappan even in best of times , would come across as a moodyu ,cagey bird. On that particular day ,he had put on the airs of one who had taken me on sufferance. i was just humouring the sap ,when the train brusting at seams arrived, spilling out a maddening ,hustling and jostling crowd. we were nowwhere near the carriage,when the train started trundling and lurching forward. I was still musing, when Thanappan displaying considerable nimbleness ,perched himself on the moving train. I , for a moment was baffled how a ungainly ,unweidly thing was capable of such lithe exertion. In a desire not to be outdone ,I too fastened myself on the train. It was only while precariously dangling over the rails , the eminent risk to limb and life dawned upon me. some twenty or more buggers clinging to the coach, found nothing uncommon, only kindred spirit displaying great agitation was Thanappan, who was too quaking and trembling asif stricken with ague. The train now worked up to terrifying speed seemed to be hellbent on taking us to the blazes.We traversed bridges ,subways, raucous level crossing adhering closely to the railing and making amends to the gawd. Many a semaphore missed Thanappan's bum by a whisker. After what it seemed like an interminable ordeal, the train begun to slow down, a dingy station came into the horizon, and just when the prospect of a sticky end resolved itself, the trouble began. From the unlit, cavernous interiors of the coach rose a cacophonous demand to make way, all this while the train was still cruising along the platform. This really proved to be the last straw, for in a split second , in some inexplicable way I found myself rapidly hoofing it on the platform, somehow trying not to suffer a fall. but ,alas, all my endeavours were in vain, for I landed squarely on my derriere , with not a soul to lend a helping hand , I steadied myself up only to find the hoi polloi convulsed with laughter. It was at this precise moment , the uncouth rabble were treated with another spectacular fall this time by Thanappan intenting to better me. The poor thing landed broadside and was in throes of great pain . It whined all sorts of pitiful, wheedling howls which only amped up the revelling crowd . Thanapan oblivious of all this rended the air with heartrendering wails , while alternatively clasping at his tummy and bum. Collecting our self , we, lumbered out , a narky bugger delightfully pointed out my torn seat of trousers.Thanking him profusely ,I along with Thanappan doddered away from the awful place.

attempts at humour

My reverie was broken by urgent summons from my father ,upon presenting myself, he produced a letter and asked " why possibly would your hod seek my presence in college". I blurted out something like " perhaps about my exemplary conduct at college" .I went on to say it wouldn't warrant his attendance before the hod. But to my dismay , old man was not to be put off. Had it been any other day I would have certainly done a bunk with alacrity. But now circumstances required my presence too. So on that day , I was pacing up and down the corridor , wondering why men like Hod weren't cloistered up in a slammer. I don't know what transpired between them , but my father came out, very apoplectic , incoherently muttering something like " wait till you get home". Any other greenhorn would have done a runner , it would be ignoble for a veteran like me.Then mustering up all pluck I went meet the old nick, bracing myself for the inevitable bollocking. A very sombre Hod after flitting cursorily over some paper said " ranganathan on account of your truancy , I am afraid you won't be writing your semester. And there I was like over the moon , for I was just absolved from the obligation of pretending to bone up. Strangely it was the Hod who seemed very sorry , as if stricken with remorse . Next day found me perked up , in high spirits though little black and blue courtesy my father. Later in college Hod met me looking extremely contrite he said " I can sit for my exams, utterly flabbergasted I thanked the devil incarnate.

koadaikanal trek 1

my trip with shadows club. It was an evening in kodai, conditions most agreeable for a brisk jaunt, surprising most of my bovver gang too developed itchy feet. So all we cronies set forth towards a distant falls. En route we were cautioned by good-natured souls to be wary of bisons .Bisons ,they said weren't of a kindly disposition, and take particular delight in goring men.Though extremely disconcerted by these sanguinary pursuits of bisons , we, nevertheless pressed on for the code of conduct of shadows proscribed such backtracking. I was particularly perplexed, as I was not known to fleeter of feet, but I had great confidence in lissomness of one of my chums who propitiously weighed a mighty hundred kilos. I and Ona keep the lead, while the rest of party laggardly brought up the rear. Then all of a sudden , ona frantically gesticulating to me , dashed off hell for leather. Now I knew all this would only mean propinquity of a bison, yet all I saw was a humongous cow placidly ruminating in middle of the track. Rest of the party needless to say ,spurred on by Ona scrammed off to a man and I stood there pondering " how on earth could a man mistake a white jersey cow to a bison". Far more bewildering was " how on earth- with all due respects to anna university- this intellectual managed to get an engg degree ( something that I have been trying for six years) . Back inthe pension boys preened over themselves for pulling off such a near squeak .Ona spent considerable time describing the behemoth proportions of the bison.Later that night a grateful shadows drank the nightcap to the health of Ona.